Nathan Ohle, IEDC President and CEO, joined Christopher Gergen and Johnathan Holifield on the Moving the Needle Podcast to talk about IEDC's Equity Playbook, discuss how communities can better address systemic inequities, and analyze some communities that are taking the lead and driving inclusive competitiveness throughout the U.S.

SeonAh Kendall, CPA, has been a member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for 10 years.

David Carranza has been a member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for 2 years.

Over the past two months, I have had the opportunity to travel from Puerto Rico to Seattle, WA, to have met with leaders from Bulgaria to India to Brazil. I have had the opportunity to meet with some of the foremost leaders at The World Bank and IMF and leaders of communities large and small, and to have watched as more than 1,000 communities participated in Economic Development Week. To say it has been inspiring would be an understatement. What strikes me most as I travel and have the opportunity to meet economic developers from across the world is the passion they have for their work, and for their communities. It is clear that this is a life’s mission for most, and always reminds me of how important service is to this job.

Last month, Nathan Ohle, IEDC President and CEO, joined Amanda Ellis, Editor in Chief of Livability.com and host of the Inside America's Best Cities Podcast, to chat about the future of economic development, IEDC, and some of the meaningful achievements looking back at his first year at the helm. 

Washington, DC – The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded $30 million in CARES Act funding to support a coalition of organizations to establish and operate a nationwide Economic Recovery Corps program. This new initiative has the potential to shift the practice of economic development nationwide in an unprecedented manner — by centering the concerns of under-resourced regions while simultaneously investing in a cohort of diverse practitioners and leaders equipped with the skills necessary to usher in a new era of economic prosperity that is equitable, sustainable, and inclusive. The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and its partners are seeking to place up to 65 Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) Fellows within partnering organizations to activate economic development projects or plans that generate new practices and paradigms for equitable and inclusive change.

Southside First represents the entire Southside of San Antonio. Over 135 sq miles with over 500,000 people, it is the largest economic region in the 7th largest state in the US. The diversity is vast in many ways, including high-tech businesses to the lowest wages paid in the city. While we have the biggest opportunities for recruiting new businesses, we also have the biggest challenges in San Antonio. Low High School and College graduation rates, high drop-out rates, and the largest amount of low-paying jobs.

May 8-12 is Economic Development Week and we are so excited to recognize and share the incredible work that economic development professionals and organizations are doing in your communities both in the U.S. and internationally!